Learning from nature, investing in people and ownership culture can future-proof the insight function

Outlining why it’s important to reimagine the insight function of the future, Nick Rich, formerly vice-president of insight at Carlsberg Group, chairing the session, said: “We’re seeing changes to the way we think about how we operate, we’re seeing changes in how we have to think about recruitment into our industry. One of the challenges we’ve got is attracting new talent and keeping them here once they’re in. We’re constantly having to think innovatively about how we meet these challenges.”

Four speakers from three research agencies shared practical ways in which businesses can rethink the insight function for the future.

Look to nature for inspiration

“Nature has evolved – it finds a way to grow, nurture and allow organisms to thrive. We might be able to learn something from nature,” said Sarah Jenkins, managing director at Magenta, as she outlined how the organisation had worked with a ‘bio-inspired consultant’ to identify areas of inspiration for the business.

“You are only as healthy as the habitat you provide. There is no point in going out and recruiting a really diverse workforce – a range of individuals with completely different needs – if you don’t then provide them with the environment they need in which to grow in their own right. So, the first lesson is: get your own house in order.”

Jenkins shared three the learnings from nature they had observed from their consultation, and that the business had implemented policies based on.

1. African elephants are a hugely sociable species that are reliant on strong social bonds for survival
2. In nature, everything is open source. There are no firewalls to get through to get the information you need. Fungi exchange nutrients to ensure that others have what they need
3. The transition area between two or more ecosystems is called an ecotone. “Life is richer on the edge – you get the best of both worlds,” says Jenkins.

Changes included focusing more on how employees could connect, introducing more transparency of information, and trying to build more varied workforce.

Nas Allmonen, associate director and DE&I lead at Magenta, said:  “Varied teams are very important. We look to the periphery of intersections, where there is lots of variety.”

At Magenta, this included ensuring a variety of disciplines in-house, providing internship opportunities and a personal development budget for each employee.

Take ownership of culture

Ettie Etela, research director at MM Eye discussed the agency’s shift from a traditional research agency model to an employee-owned business with B Corp certification.

All businesses and teams can adopt an ownership culture, however, said Etela. “There are lots of different types of businesses and ownership models and not everyone will be able to go down the employee owned route or B Corp but I think the principles of ownership are universal.”

“Adopting an ownership culture sparks creativity and inspires everyone to do their best. These are changes that any organisation can adopt at any level. Whether you are a team of five or 500, these are ideas that can redefine how your business works.”

1. Instil a sense of ownership and purpose. Purpose is a key element of ownership culture and enables a sense of belonging
2. Think about your impact beyond financial KPIs. Think about your community, the world and how you can make a difference
3. Figure out the working model that works for you
4. Be clear about who you are and your values
5. Involve your people in your decision making and allow people to co-create company values.

Invest in the processes to support people

Lian Mico, delivery development director, Human8, urged the sector to invest more in its people. “A lot of the time as researchers we are spending so much time with clients and ensuring we deliver our research to specification and on time so we need to be asking ourselves, do we do enough to  after our people properly?

Mico noted that salary, bonus schemes and wellbeing schemes are now viewed as necessary and expected. “They’re not enough to be a differentiator or keep people happy or empowered or to guarantee the work you’re doing is as good as you say it is.”

She added: “As agencies, we’re often trying to sell our USPs but the reality is that often they’re similar or comparable in terms of platforms and portfolios – but the key differentiator is people. The reality is for a lot of research agencies, people end up getting pushed down the pile in terms of priorities for investment.”

Human8 has offices internationally and so had to “adapt how we get to know and support each other,” beyond in-person social gatherings, explained Mico. The company established a delivery development team, led by Mico, to support the provision of client experiences and to help support people.

However, she said: “If you’re a small business and you can’t dedicate a whole team to this, start by dedicating a proportion of one person’s time – then you can add more time or more people to support the needs and scale as it grows.”

The key areas to focus on, said Mico, are: efficiency (helping researchers and operational teams to work together to maximise productivity); effectiveness and enjoyment. To address these areas, Mico advised businesses to:

• Provide adequate, ongoing upskilling opportunities for both the individual and the organisation as a whole, harnessing internal and external expertise
• Have and use quality measurement initiatives. Take time to scrutinise your work internally and externally and develop metrics you can track over time.
• Streamline and centralise resources. Identify what resources you need – centralising them will make it easier to attain high quality levels as a business. “Employees waste so much time trying to reinvent the wheel, so consider where you store existing resources,” added Mico.
• Be mindful of your processes and question and review them on an ongoing basis, including understanding bottlenecks and pain points. 

Attendees of the MRS Annual Conference can access sessions on-demand via the MRS website.